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Saturday, February 27, 2010

Just turned up today in a email sent by Marty Schafer its a seedling that Marty has described as "is one of the most exciting seedlings that bloomed last year" Parentage S03-56A-10 X Miss Apple. Joe Pye Weed's Garden is Jan and Marty's mail order plant nursery specializing in Siberian Irises, Versicolors, and Species and Interspecies hybrids

As always clicking on the above image will take you to the larger, higher resolution version.Of course a major hat tip to Jan and Marty for sharing the magicPhoto credit and copyright Schafer Sacks

Saturday, February 20, 2010

'CAESAR'S BROTHER' One of the most popular if not thee most popular landscape Siberian Iris variety . The flowers are medium blue with erect standards, very vigorous and easy to grow. I remember a conversation with a commercial grower of Siberians in New Zealand some years ago who stated "Customers visit the gardens and get to see the latest varieties I have imported from America, yet when they return to the shop nine times out of ten its 'Caesars Brother' which wins as the variety they want to take home to grow"
I grow it at home as a hedge of approximately 300 plants down the drive way, and must admit at peak bloom it looks good, bloom height is 36" which gives the garden visitors a greater appreciation of the flowers form. Bred by F. Cleveland Morgan, a pioneer Canadian breeder of Siberian irises. His best known irises are 'Caesar,' 'Caesar's Brother' and ‘Tropic Night', and all are still popular garden plants today. Photo taken in the morning light, and yes its Historic.

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Registered as LEXICON, this nicely balanced hybrid is one of the newest additions to the Japanese-Siberian family hybridised by Christy HenslerI first came into contact with Christy some years ago and I have always admired her "thinking outside the square" when it comes to Japanese and Siberian interseries hybrid breeding, its a difficult thing to do. Here she relates her thoughts regarding this remarkable iris "LEXICON will make her début in 2012 at the Michigan Iris Convention. Her leaves don't look like any "Siberian" you have ever seen. She's an aggressive little doll who's never failed to bloom even after being moved in the spring. Barely fertile only with a sibling so far but I've started playing with Adrenaline Rush again, the F1 JI-SIB she came from hoping to pull a few more colors into the type."
Despite inconclusive criticism of her work with Ensiberians Christy Hensler has persevered. Plant breeders with a sense of adventure are a valuable asset in the Iris world for making us think that the Impossible now seems probable, long may they live.

Thursday, February 11, 2010

POMEGRANATE PUNCH. Schafer/Sacks (Seedling No. S03-77-12), 23", EM. A richly colored iris which is a blend of yellow and red purple with orangey highlights on sunny days. The falls have a felty texture, nicely flaring with soft and rolling ruffles. The styles are ornamented with small ruffles and dark red picotee edges. Medium sized flowers are held just above the wide and erect foliage. Three buds present a nice succession of bloom. (Sunfisher x sib to On Her Toes) X (((((Star Cluster x Ruffled Velvet) x (Creme Chantilly x ((Atoll x Ruffled Velvet) x Butter and Sugar))) x Riverdance) x ((Forrest McCord x Isabelle) x Dawn Waltz)) x (sib to Dawn Waltz x Dandy's Hornpipe))
Just arrived from Jan Sacks two photos of Jan and Marty's 2010 introductions. Joe Pye Weeds Garden web site is updated for 2010 , give it a visit and admire the genius of diploid hybridizing. Revisit this post and I will update it with more information when it comes to hand. Ten years ago who could imagine the kaleidescope of colour's, its just amazing.

CINNAMON SUGAR . Schafer/Sacks (Seedling No. S03-28-3), 24", M. An impossible color to describe without using food analogies - the falls are smooth chocolate pink or sugared cinnamon. The standards and styles are the palest violet to cream, both with a warm glow of yellow at the edges. Signals are deep golden yellow softened by self colored veins. A prolific bloomer with stalks well distributed in the compact clump. Small to medium
flowers, four to six buds per stalk. Strong neat foliage. Tree of Songs X sib to Pretty Polly: (Gentle Lass x (sib to Dawn Waltz x Dandy's Hornpipe))

As always clicking on the above image will take you to the larger, higher resolution version.

Of course a major hat tip to Jan and Marty for sharing the magic.
Photo credit and copyright Schafer Sacks

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Anna Mae Miller is one of the living treasures of the Siberian Iris world and is a prolific hybridiser of hardy no nonsense high health Siberians
Lilting Laura is one of the most popular Siberians in New Zealand .The flowers are lavender shaded darker in the centre, accented with white styles. It is very vigorous and easy to grow.

Good size plants can be purchased for a very reasonable price in America from Wildwood Gardens who have a very good selection of Siberian Irises.

In New Zealand Siberian iris are wonderful landscape plants and do very well as cut flowers. The graceful flowers are carried above an elegant clump of grass-like, blue-green foliage which is attractive all season. Siberians bloom just after the bearded iris and just before the Japanese Iris, and can tolerate a wide range of soils, light exposures and moisture levels and are drought tolerant after they are established. They have almost no disease or pest problems. Ideal conditions are a sunny place with moist, rich, slightly acid soil.
They can also grow well next to pools or marshes and after the first frost their foliage turns a rich reddish-brown. Siberians can remain in place for years without division. When necessary, they should be moved and divided in late summer, preferably March- April.

Ann and Bill Robinson are the owners of 'Tikitere Gardens' which is located in the North Island's very scenic area of Rotorua. These extensive gardens, developed since 1987 incorporate a natural stream and established trees. Nursery sells trees, Acers, Rhododendrons, Hostas Daylilies. Great service and very good size Siberians.Recent Catalogue received lists over 40 modern varieties. Friendly to deal with and answer emails generally within 24 hours.

Sunday, February 7, 2010

When I asked if I could use this photo, Sergey's reply was certainly but he could not understand why as he did not like it much but qualified the statement by adding "but its all a matter of taste". I myself think it most certainly is a mighty good looking Siberian and the dark blue veining on the standards and the falls give the bloom another dimension in taste.

The pod parent is "China Bitone" which has the species Iris I.typhifolia on both sides of it's parentage and is registered as a species X. The pollen parent is unknown.

As always, clicking the image will take you to the larger, higher resolution version.

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Siberian Irises with the so called modern flaring rounded form is so apparent in Wine Wings. A re-bloomer which clumps up well to make a colourful display. Whilst this iris is more than 30 years old and therefore is Historic, Siberian Iris just do not date like the Bearded Iris.

D.Steve Warner, Illini Iris Gardens Catalogue 1977 Introductions
WINE WINGS. Siberian sdlg.1150 EML 32" (Sensenbach #6 X Illini Encore)
This floriferous, long blooming red with a touch of violet received the most vote for HC in 1976 and make a beautiful clump

Can be purchased in America from Tranquil Lake Nursery who have a very good eclectic catalogue of Siberians. In saying that, their Historic collection of Siberians make me wish they where just down the road from me.

"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man".

George Bernard Shaw

WELCOME

HERITAGE IRISES

INDEPENDENT ALWAYS

Welcome to Heritage Irises, and
do make yourself at home. The blog shares the magic of Irises and
will feature some very special New Zealand raised varieties
including the brilliance of our very own Jean Stevens (1900-1967).
Each and every iris growing in New Zealand are a part of our Iris
Heritage and will all become historic or heirloom irises one day so
why not start early and give them all a good home! Writing and
researching about heirloom irises is just a hobby and the blog is my
diary notes and observations of the Irises I grow and like at
home.I'm really enjoying myself, although blogging is a lot like a
virus that invades the mind and body and you can't rid yourself of
it, in the nicest possibly way of course. Click on any photo to view
a larger image.

They took all the trees And put them in a tree museum Then they charged the people A dollar and a half just to see 'emDon't it always seem to go,That you don't know what you've got 'Til it's gone They paved paradise And put up a parking lot Yellow Taxi

Joni Mitchell

A 10 year old 5.1 mega pixel Fuji Finepix S5600 digital camera has been used exclusively for all photos able to be viewed on the blog that are accredited to Iris Hunter. Why such an old camera you may ask? Well its an easy camera to work with, but more importantly it reinforces my view that you don't have to invest thousands of dollars in equipment to produce a reasonably swish Blog

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